Taryn Simon photographs secret sites

譯者: Adrienne Lin 審譯者: Zhu Jie

Okay, so

好的

90 percent of my photographic process

我的攝影過程有90%

is, in fact, not photographic.

都不是攝影本身

It involves a campaign of letter writing,

而是不停的寫信

research and phone calls

找資料、打電話、

to access my subjects,

與攝影對象連絡

which can range from Hamas leaders in Gaza

從加薩的武裝組織哈馬斯領導者

to a hibernating black bear in its cave

到西維吉尼亞州

in West Virginia.

冬眠的黑熊

And oddly, the most notable

我收到最奇怪的

letter of rejection I ever received

一封回絕信竟然是

came from Walt Disney World,

迪士尼樂園寫來的

a seemingly innocuous site.

一個看似無害的地方

And it read -- I'm just going to read a key sentence:

他們回覆，我念重點：

"Especially during these violent times,

「尤其在現在的暴力時代，」

I personally believe

「我個人相信」

that the magical spell cast upon guests who visit our theme parks

「來我們樂園玩的客人們，身上有著神奇魔法，」

is particularly important to protect

「這魔法很重要，因為它幫助」

and helps to provide them with an important fantasy

「人們逃離現實，進入一個幻想世界，」

they can escape to."

「成為一種庇護。」

Photography threatens fantasy.

照片威脅幻想

They didn't want to let my camera in

他們不希望我拍攝

because it confronts constructed realities, myths and beliefs,

因為相機挑戰了他們所建立的現實、虛幻與信仰

and provides what appears to be

提供了一種

evidence of a truth.

事實的證據

But there are multiple truths attached to every image,

但每張照片背後都有多重事實

depending on the creator's intention, the viewer

取決於攝影者的目的、觀賞者、

and the context in which it is presented.

及照片展現的內容

Over a five year period following September 11th,

911過後的五年

when the American media and government were seeking

美國媒體、政府忙著尋找

hidden and unknown sites

海外那些

beyond its borders,

不為人知的地點

most notably weapons of mass destruction,

特別是大規模毀滅性武器

I chose to look inward at that which was integral

我選擇探究國內那些，對於美國基礎、

to America's foundation,

神話、每日生活而言，

mythology and daily functioning.

所不可或缺的東西

I wanted to confront the boundaries of the citizen,

我希望能挑戰人們自我設定的、

self-imposed and real,

真實的界限

and confront the divide between privileged

我想突破特權者和一般大眾間

and public access to knowledge.

取得知識的鴻溝

It was a critical moment in American history

當一個人自覺無法取得正確資訊

and global history

這是美國、國際史上

where one felt they didn't have access to accurate information.

一個極關鍵時刻

And I wanted to see the center with my own eyes,

我希望能親眼看見這一切的中心點

but what I came away with is a photograph.

但我所能帶離的，只有相片

And it's just another place from which to observe,

這只是其中一個地方，能讓我觀察、

and the understanding that

並了解世上沒有所謂

there are no absolute, all-knowing insiders.

絕對、無所不知的局內人

And the outsider can never really reach the core.

而局外人永遠無法觸及中心點

I'm going to run through some of the photographs in this series.

我要給大家看一系列照片，

It's titled, "An American Index

標題為「美國索引－」

of the Hidden and Unfamiliar,"

「不為人知的地方」

and it's comprised of nearly 70 images.

裡面有近70張照片

In this context I'll just show you a few.

今天只能展示其中的一些

This is a nuclear waste storage and encapsulation facility

這是核廢料儲存、壓縮設備

at Hanford site in Washington State,

在華盛頓州的漢福場址

where there are over 1,900

總共有1900個

stainless steel capsules containing nuclear waste

不鏽鋼容器裝著核廢料

submerged in water.

投入水裡

A human standing in front of an unprotected capsule would die instantly.

如果站在未加防護的容器前會立刻死亡

And I found one section amongst all of these

我找到其中的一部份

that actually resembled the outline

形狀還真有點像

of the United States of America,

美國國土

which you can see here.

如各位所看到的

And a big part of the work that is

我的專案很大一部分是

sort of absent in this context is text.

以文字填補照片中的空白

So I create these two poles.

我創造兩個部份

Every image is accompanied with a very detailed factual text.

每張照片旁，都以文字詳細記錄了事實

And what I'm most interested in

我所有興趣的是

is the invisible space between a text

存在於文字和照片之間的

and its accompanying image,

隱形距離

and how the image is transformed by the text

以及照片轉為文字、

and the text by the image.

文字轉為照片的過程

So, at best, the image is meant to float away

所以，照片充其量是

into abstraction and multiple truths and fantasy.

抽象、多重現實、虛幻的

And then the text functions as this cruel anchor

但文字的功能像是緊扣的錨

that kind of nails it to the ground.

牢牢的抓住事實

But in this context I'm just going to read

今天的演講

an abridged version of those texts.

我只能分享刪節的版本

This is a cryopreservation unit,

這是一個超低溫冷凍法容器

and it holds the bodies of the wife and mother

裡面放的是人體冷凍法先驅

of cryonics pioneer Robert Ettinger,

羅伯特·艾丁格的妻子與母親

who hoped to be awoken one day to extended life

他希望有天能用先進的科技，

in good health, with advancements in science and technology,

喚起並延續她們的生命，重獲健康

all for the cost of 35 thousand dollars, for forever.

這項過程35000美元

This is a 21-year-old Palestinian woman

這是一名21歲的巴勒斯坦少女

undergoing hymenoplasty.

接受處女膜修補手術

Hymenoplasty is a surgical procedure which restores the virginal state,

這是一項用來恢復處女之身的手術

allowing her to adhere to certain cultural expectations

讓她能夠滿足特定文化對於

regarding virginity and marriage.

貞潔和婚姻的要求

So it essentially reconstructs a ruptured hymen,

它修復破裂的處女膜

allowing her to bleed upon having sexual intercourse,

讓她能在性交時流血

to simulate the loss of virginity.

模擬失去貞操的過程

This is a jury simulation deliberation room,

這是一個陪審團審議的模擬室

and you can see beyond that two-way mirror

這雙向玻璃鏡的後面

jury advisers standing in a room behind the mirror.

陪審團顧問站在鏡後

And they observe deliberations

他們在模擬審判之後

after mock trial proceedings

觀察陪審團審議過程

so that they can better advise their clients how to adjust their trial strategy

以提供當事人更好的建議，並調整他們法庭上的策略

to have the outcome that they're hoping for.

並獲得他們所期望的結果

This process costs 60,000 dollars.

這過程需要6萬美元

This is a U.S. Customs and Border Protection room,

這裡是美國海關暨邊境保安局

a contraband room, at John F. Kennedy International Airport.

在甘迺迪國際機場的違禁品室

On that table you can see 48 hours' worth

那張桌子上是48小時內

of seized goods from passengers entering in to the United States.

從入境美國的乘客上，搜出的禁品

There is a pig's head and African cane rats.

其中有個豬頭和非洲蔗鼠

And part of my photographic work

我攝影的時候

is I'm not just documenting what's there.

並非只是旁觀的紀錄

I do take certain liberties and intervene.

我會適時的介入

And in this I really wanted it to resemble

我希望將這張照片拍出

an early still-life painting,

早期的靜物畫的感覺

so I spent some time with the smells and items.

所以我花了點時間聞味道與觀察物品

This is the exhibited art on the walls of the CIA

這是CIA在維吉尼亞州蘭里(原始總部)

in Langley, Virginia, their original headquarters building.

的展示藝術牆

And the CIA has had a long history

CIA在秘密、公開文化外交上

with both covert and public cultural diplomacy efforts.

有很長的歷史

And it's speculated that some of their interest in the arts

有人推測，他們的藝術喜好

was designed to counter Soviet communism

是用來抵制蘇聯共產主義

and promote what it considered to be pro-American

並推廣所謂親美的

thoughts and aesthetics.

想法與美學

And one of the art forms that elicited the interest of the agency,

其中一種藝術形式引起CIA興趣

and had thus come under question, is abstract expressionism.

後來受到質疑，就是抽象表現主義

This is the Forensic Anthropology Research Facility,

這是法醫人類學研究機構

and on a six acre plot

在這6英畝地

there are approximately 75 cadavers at any given time

有約75具屍體

that are being studied by forensic anthropologists

是法醫人類學家研究的對象

and researchers who are interested in monitoring

研究家會監控這些屍體

a rate of corpse decomposition.

分解的速度

And in this particular photograph the body of a young boy

這張照片是一個小男孩的屍體

has been used to reenact a crime scene.

被用來重現犯罪現場

This is the only federally funded site

這是唯一聯邦資助的

where it is legal to cultivate cannabis

合法種植大麻地點

for scientific research in the United States.

以作為全美研究用途

It's a research crop marijuana grow room.

這是研究用大麻的種植室

And part of the work that I hope for

我想傳遞的是

is that there is a sort of disorienting entropy

這種迷惘的無序狀態，

where you can't find any discernible formula in how these things --

人們無法分辨出這些事情的模式

they sort of awkwardly jump from government to science

好像從政府跳到科學、

to religion to security --

又跳到宗教、安全保障

and you can't completely understand

令人根本無法理解

how information is being distributed.

資訊傳播的方式

These are transatlantic submarine communication cables

這些是海底通訊電纜

that travel across the floor of the Atlantic Ocean,

橫渡整個大西洋

connecting North America to Europe.

連結北美與歐洲

They carry over 60 million simultaneous voice conversations,

傳遞著超過6千萬即時通話

and in a lot of the government and technology sites

在很多政府、科技場所可以看到

there was just this very apparent vulnerability.

它明顯的脆弱性

This one is almost humorous because it feels like I could

這張很好笑，我覺得隨便一剪

just snip all of that conversation in one easy cut.

就可以切斷所有通訊一樣

But stuff did feel like it could have been taken

但它其實看起來很像30、40年前

30 or 40 years ago, like it was locked in the Cold War era

停留在冷戰時期的東西，

and hadn't necessarily progressed.

沒有什麼進展

This is a Braille edition of Playboy magazine.

這是花花公子雜誌的點字版

(Laughter)

(笑聲)

And this is ... a division of the Library of Congress

國會圖書館的其中一館

produces a free national library service

為盲人、視力守損的人

for the blind and visually impaired,

提供的免費圖書服務

and the publications they choose to publish

他們是依照讀者歡迎度

are based on reader popularity.

來出版點字書的

And Playboy is always in the top few.

而花花公子總在前幾名

(Laughter)

(笑聲)

But you'd be surprised, they don't do the photographs. It's just the text.

感到意外的是，裡面並沒有圖片，只有文字

(Laughter)

(笑聲)

This is an avian quarantine facility

這是家禽檢疫所

where all imported birds coming into America

所有進口美國的鳥類

are required to undergo a 30-day quarantine,

都需要30天的隔離

where they are tested for diseases

並檢疫

including Exotic Newcastle Disease

包含新城病(急性家禽疾病)

and Avian Influenza.

和禽流感

This film shows

這段影片是

the testing of a new explosive fill on a warhead.

彈頭的爆炸測試

And the Air Armament Center

位於佛州埃格林空軍基地

at Eglin Air Force Base in Florida

的航空武器中心

is responsible for the deployment and testing

他們負責部署、測試

of all air-delivered weaponry

所有美國的空投武器

coming from the United States.

所有美國的空投武器

And the film was shot on 72 millimeter, government-issue film.

這影片是用政府規定的72釐米鏡頭拍攝的

And that red dot is a marking on the government-issue film.

那紅點是官方影片的標誌

All living white tigers in North America

北美現在的白老虎

are the result of selective inbreeding --

都是選擇性近親交配的結果

that would be mother to son,

可能是母子交配、

father to daughter, sister to brother --

父女交配、兄弟姐妹交配

to allow for the genetic conditions

只為了讓生下來的

that create a salable white tiger.

白老虎有賣相

Meaning white fur, ice blue eyes, a pink nose.

像是白色的毛、冰藍眼睛、粉紅鼻子

And the majority of these white tigers

大部分的白老虎

are not born in a salable state

如果出生後不能拿來賣

and are killed at birth.

就會被當場殺死

It's a very violent process that is little known.

這是鮮少人知道的殘忍過程

And the white tiger is obviously celebrated in several forms of entertainment.

白老虎常被拿來做娛樂用途

Kenny was born. He actually made it to adulthood.

Kenny出生後幸運活到成年

He has since passed away,

現在已經去世了

but was mentally retarded

他有心智障礙

and suffers from severe bone abnormalities.

以及嚴重骨骼異常

This, on a lighter note, is at

介紹輕鬆一點的

George Lucas' personal archive.

這是喬治·盧卡斯的私人收藏

This is the Death Star.

這是死星

And it's shown here in its true orientation.

這是它真實的方向

In the context of "Star Wars: Return of the Jedi,"

在星際大戰：絕地大反攻裡

its mirror image is presented.

其實是它的鏡像

They flip the negative.

他們將它水平翻轉

And you can see the photoetched brass detailing,

各位可以看到黃銅模型蝕刻的細節

and the painted acrylic facade.

和壓克力外觀

In the context of the film,

在電影中

this is a deep-space battle station of the Galactic Empire,

它是銀河帝國製造的終極武器

capable of annihilating planets and civilizations,

可以消滅整個星球

and in reality it measures about four feet by two feet.

但事實上它只有4乘2英尺大

(Laughter)

(笑聲)

This is at Fort Campbell in Kentucky.

這是肯塔基州的坎貝爾堡

It's a Military Operations on Urbanized Terrain site.

城市巷戰訓練基地

Essentially they've simulated a city

他們模擬出一個城市

for urban combat,

作為城市戰訓練

and this is one of the structures that exists in that city.

這是該城其中一個建築

It's called the World Church of God.

叫作「上帝的世界教堂」

It's supposed to be a generic site of worship.

本來只是一個普通的禮拜堂

And after I took this photograph,

我拍完這照片後

they constructed a wall around the World Church of God

他們在世界教堂四周建起牆

to mimic the set-up of mosques in Afghanistan or Iraq.

來模仿在阿富汗、伊拉克的清真寺

And I worked with Mehta Vihar

我與Mehta Vihar合作

who creates virtual simulations for the army

他專門負責軍隊實戰練習的

for tactical practice.

視覺模擬

And we put that wall around the World Church of God,

我們在世界教堂四周築牆

and also used the characters and vehicles and explosions

並加入人物、交通工具、爆炸效果

that are offered in the video games for the army.

便成軍人的電玩遊戲

And I put them into my photograph.

我將他們一同收進照片中

This is live HIV virus

這是活的愛滋病毒

at Harvard Medical School, who is working with the U.S. Government

哈佛醫學院與美國政府的研究

to develop sterilizing immunity.

研發消除性免疫療法

And Alhurra is a U.S. Government- sponsored

自由之聲是美國政府贊助的

Arabic language television network

阿拉伯語電視台

that distributes news and information to over 22 countries in the Arab world.

在超過22個阿拉伯國家播出新聞資訊

It runs 24 hours a day, commercial free.

一天24小時，沒有廣告

However, it's illegal to broadcast Alhurra within the United States.

但自由之聲的播出在美國是非法的

And in 2004, they developed a channel called Alhurra Iraq,

但在2004年他們開發了自由之聲伊拉克頻道

which specifically deals with events occurring in Iraq

專門報導在伊拉克發生的事件

and is broadcast to Iraq.

並只在伊拉克播出

Now I'm going to move on to another project I did.

接下來我要談的是我的另一個專案

It's titled "The Innocents."

「無罪者」

And for the men in these photographs,

對這些照片中的男子來說

photography had been used to create a fantasy.

攝影已經成為想像的產物

Contradicting its function as evidence of a truth,

與它原本提供證據的功能牴觸

in these instances it furthered the fabrication of a lie.

並進而成為捏造謊言的工具

I traveled across the United States

我走遍美國

photographing men and women who had been wrongfully convicted

拍攝因為被誤判的無辜者

of crimes they did not commit, violent crimes.

他們為自己從未犯過暴力罪行受罪

I investigate photography's ability to blur truth and fiction,

我調查了攝影模糊是非的能力

and its influence on memory,

和它對於記憶的影響

which can lead to severe, even lethal consequences.

結果是嚴重、甚至可致命的

For the men in these photographs,

照片中這些男人

the primary cause of their wrongful conviction

被誤判最主要原因是

was mistaken identification.

身分誤認

A victim or eyewitness identifies

受害人、目擊證人

a suspected perpetrator

指認出犯罪嫌疑人

through law enforcement's use of images.

執法機關利用影像協助

But through exposure to composite sketches,

但透過合成的草圖、

Polaroids, mug shots and line-ups,

拍立得、罪犯檔案的照片、列隊認人，

eyewitness testimony can change.

目擊證人的證詞是可以改變的

I'll give you an example from a case.

我舉個例子

A woman was raped and presented with a series of photographs

一個被強暴的女人，看到一系列指認照片

from which to identify her attacker.

來辨認攻擊她的人

She saw some similarities in one of the photographs,

她看到其中一張照片疑似她的攻擊者

but couldn't quite make a positive identification.

但無法確定

Days later, she is presented with another photo array

幾天後她又面對一系列新的

of all new photographs,

指認照片

except that one photograph that she had some draw to

但她之前有印象的那照片

from the earlier array is repeated in the second array.

被重複放到第二系列

And a positive identification is made

第二次她就可以正確指認

because the photograph replaced the memory,

因為照片已經取代原本的記憶

if there ever was an actual memory.

又或許本來是沒有記憶的

Photography offered the criminal justice system

照片變成了刑事司法體系

a tool that transformed innocent citizens into criminals,

一種讓無辜者變成罪犯的工具

and the criminal justice system failed to recognize the limitations

而刑事司法體系，無法意識到用相片來指認嫌犯

of relying on photographic identifications.

所帶來局限性

Frederick Daye, who is photographed at his alibi location,

這是Fredrick Day在他的不在場證明現場

where 13 witnesses placed him at the time of the crime.

有13個人證明案發當時他在這裡

He was convicted by an all-white jury

他被全為白人的陪審團判有罪

of rape, kidnapping and vehicle theft.

罪行有強暴、綁架、偷車

And he served 10 years of a life sentence.

無期徒刑中他服了10年

Now DNA exonerated Frederick

後來DNA證據宣佈Fredrick無罪

and it also implicated another man

此證據還暗示另一個

who was serving time in prison.

在監獄服刑的嫌犯

But the victim refused to press charges

受害者後來拒絕提出告訴

because she claimed that law enforcement

因為她認為執法機關

had permanently altered her memory through the use of Frederick's photograph.

利用Fredrick的照片，已經永久的改變了她的記憶

Charles Fain was convicted of kidnapping, rape and murder

Charles Faine因綁架、強姦、謀殺

of a young girl walking to school.

一名上學途中的女學生

He served 18 years of a death sentence.

被判死刑，坐了18年牢

I photographed him at the scene of the crime

這是我後來拍攝他在愛達荷州的

at the Snake River in Idaho.

蛇河(犯罪現場)的照片

And I photographed all of the wrongfully convicted

我拍攝這些被誤判的人

at sites that came to particular significance

重回到那改變他們一生

in the history of their wrongful conviction.

非常重要的地點

The scene of arrest, the scene of misidentification,

像是逮捕地點、錯認地點

the alibi location.

不在場證明地點

And here, the scene of the crime, it's this place

而這張照片，就在這個犯罪現場

to which he's never been, but changed his life forever.

他從沒有到過這裡，但卻改變了他的一生

So photographing there, I was hoping to highlight

我希望利用這張照片，強調

the tenuous relationship between truth and fiction,

他的人生和攝影這種

in both his life and in photography.

事實－虛幻的脆弱關係

Calvin Washington was convicted of capital murder.

Calvin Washington被判蓄意謀殺

He served 13 years of a life sentence in Waco, Texas.

他在德州的韋科坐了無期徒刑中的13年牢

Larry Mayes, I photographed at the scene of arrest,

這是Larry Mays在他的逮捕地點

where he hid between two mattresses in Gary, Indiana,

他當時躲在兩張床墊中間 (印第安納州 蓋瑞)

in this very room to hide from the police.

這是同一個房間

He ended up serving 18 and a half years

他因為強姦、搶劫被判80年刑

of an 80 year sentence for rape and robbery.

最後坐了18.5年牢

The victim failed to identify Larry

受害人在兩次的列隊認人

in two live lineups

都沒指認Larry

and then made a positive identification, days later,

後來是幾天後的指認照片裡

from a photo array.

指認出他

Larry Youngblood served eight years of a 10 and half year sentence

Larry Youngblood被判10.5年，在亞利桑那坐了8年牢

in Arizona for the abduction and repeated sodomizing

罪行是在嘉年華裡綁架、雞姦

of a 10 year old boy at a carnival.

一名10歲男童

He is photographed at his alibi location.

這是他的不在場證明地點

Ron Williamson. Ron was convicted of the rape and murder

Ron Williamson因姦殺一名酒吧女服務生

of a barmaid at a club,

被判死刑

and served 11 years of a death sentence.

後來蹲了11年牢

I photographed Ron at a baseball field

我拍攝Ron在棒球場的照片

because he had been drafted to the Oakland A's

因為他在判刑前，

to play professional baseball just before his conviction.

才剛被選入奧克蘭運動家隊，準備開始職棒生涯

And the state's key witness in Ron's case

而當時的污點證人

was, in the end, the actual perpetrator.

才是真正的凶手

Ronald Jones served eight years of a death sentence

Ronald Jones因姦殺一名28歲婦女

for rape and murder of a 28-year-old woman.

被判死刑，坐了8年牢

I photographed him at the scene of arrest in Chicago.

這是他在芝加哥的逮捕地點

William Gregory was convicted of rape and burglary.

William Gregory因強暴、盜竊罪

He served seven years of a 70 year sentence in Kentucky.

被判70年徒刑，蹲了7年牢 (肯塔基州)

Timothy Durham, who I photographed at his alibi location

這是Timothy Durham在他的不在場證明地點

where 11 witnesses placed him at the time of the crime,

有11個人證明案發當時他在這裡

was convicted of 3.5 years

被判3220年徒刑

of a 3220 year sentence,

坐了3.5年牢

for several charges of rape and robbery.

罪行是強暴與搶劫

He had been misidentified by an 11-year-old victim.

因為該案的11歲受害者認錯人

Troy Webb is photographed here at the scene of the crime in Virginia.

這是Troy Webb在維吉尼亞州犯罪現場的照片

He was convicted of rape, kidnapping and robbery,

他因強暴、綁架、搶劫

and served seven years of a 47 year sentence.

被判47徒刑，坐了7年牢

Troy's picture was in a photo array

Troy的照片是指認照片裡其中一張

that the victim tentatively had some draw toward,

但受害人看著照片，並不確定

but said he looked too old.

覺得他看起來太老

The police went and found a photograph of Troy Webb

後來警方找出Troy Webb

from four years earlier,

四年前的照片

which they entered into a photo array days later,

又放進指認照片裡

and he was positively identified.

他因此被指認出來

Now I'm going to leave you with a self portrait.

最後給各位看這張自畫像

And it reiterates that distortion is a constant,

它說明了相片的扭曲是經常發生的

and our eyes are easily deceived.

而我們的雙眼可以輕易蒙蔽

That's it. Thank you.

謝謝大家

(Applause)

(掌聲)